Holiday Gifts
by Arykah Marye
Summary: It's the holidays, time for giving gifts, but what will Inu Yasha and Kagome give each other?
1. Chapter 1

Holiday Gifts; Chapter One  
  
Snow. Lightly falling in a soft, icy blanket over Feudal Japan. Everyone was inside on this day, this chillingly beautiful day, warming themselves by their fires and telling tales of old. Or, something to that nature.  
  
Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Inu Yasha were sitting 'round the fire in Lady Kaede's hut, as Kaede was out treating the recent bout of colds in the village. The group was discussing where to find the next Shikon Shard while sipping their tea sedately. Well, mostly that is.  
  
"Inu Yasha, why don't you just go get her?" Miroku asked putting down him tea.  
  
"Feh! I don't know what you're implying monk." Inu Yasha replied stupidly, crossing his arms.  
  
"Yes you do Inu Yasha," Miroku sighed in exasperation, "Your ears keep twitching and every few minutes you sniff the air, trying to catch a hint of Lady Kagome. Just go get her!"  
  
Inu Yasha stared dumbfounded at the monk who-noticed-all. Quickly though, he switched to his favorite defense mode; violent anger.  
  
"Is that what you think?" He growled, claws bared and body tensing. Sango, bless her, quickly noticed and bid Shippo assist Lady Kaede throughout the village. Once the young kit had scampered off, she spoke.  
  
"Inu Yasha, violence will not help this, why not just admit you like her?" Sango demanded, glaring at the hanyou.  
  
"As if I could like someone like Kagome-"  
  
"You did and you do," Miroku interrupted, "It's plain to everyone except Lady Kagome. She comes from a time where feelings are expressed openly, and doesn't understand your way of dealing with these things."  
  
"It's amazing she comes back anymore, the way you treat her," Sango added, "A girl can only stand so much heartbreak Inu Yasha."  
  
"H-heartbreak?" Inu Yasha stammered, going slightly red.  
  
"Well, of course! Lady Kagome has serious feelings for you." Miroku stated, looking surprised Inu Yasha hadn't already noticed. Heavenly Buddha, the hanyou was dense.  
  
"She may have already decided to not return, "Miroku continued, attempting to prod Inu Yasha into action, "She may have sealed off the well already."  
  
Inu Yasha' face filled with fear, much to Miroku and Sango's amusement. He muttered to himself shortly, arms crossed silently. After a few moments of silence, he jumped up and left the hut abruptly.  
  
Sango and Miroku laughed heartily after Inu Yasha's exit.  
  
"The poor demon, he's too dense to do anything himself!" Miroku laughed, full of mirth. After a long while, the quieted and sat, drinking their tea.  
  
"Pervert!" Sango yelled, slapping away the hand creeping towards her bum. "Can't you try and behave like a monk?"  
  
"Ah, but I am, dear Sango," Miroku smiled while rubbing his injured hand, "It is the duty of Buddha's followers to take pleasure in observing the great beauty around them.  
  
Miroku grinned as Sango blushed and busied herself with her tea.  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Inu Yasha was rushing to the well, fear flooding his thoughts.  
  
'She wouldn't really leave forever. Would she? I can't of hurt her that much . . .'  
  
Quickly, he reached the well, and cautiously peered in. It all looked and smelled all right. Taking a deep breath, he jumped in. Landing with a thud on the bottom, he warily sniffed the air. It was different, and he caught a hint of something else.  
  
"Kagome," he whispered, and jumped out of the well.  
  
Kagome climbed up the ladder to the roof of her house with strings of light wrapped 'round her shoulders. Her cheeks were red with cold, but her eyes were sparkling.  
  
'Hmm, will I be glad when Sota's old enough to do this,' she thought grumpily, climbing on the roof. 'It'd figure Mom is afraid of heights.'  
  
Slinging the strands off herself she set herself to setting up the family's Christmas lights. Humming to herself a little, she strung up the lights, accidentally dropping part of the strand on a lower roof section.  
  
"Oh no!" she thought aloud and leaned over the edge of the roof, grabbing onto the gutter. 'Almost, got it,' Reaching for the strand, she heard something. Her name being called by a familiar voice.  
  
'Inu Yasha?"  
  
Inu Yasha exited the well house, scanning for Kagome. He saw her on top of the roof, leaning over the edge. '  
  
'Is she trying to kill herself?' he thought wildly, staring at her, "Kagome!"  
  
He saw her start to wobble. Jumping, he flew up on to the roof without thought, grabbed her round the waist and hauled her back on the roof with such force he lost his balance and fell to his bum, Kagome still in his arms.  
  
Kagome found herself slightly disoriented. She had been falling, but now she was back on the roof, feeling very safe with the light strand clutched in her hand. 'Why do I feel so right?' she wondered, when she noticed warmth behind her. Looking down, she saw a familiar pair of clawed hands round her middle.  
  
"Inu Yasha?"  
  
Turning round, she saw him sitting there, looking at her very oddly. "Are you alright, Kagome?"  
  
"Yes," Kagome watched as relief seemed to flood his face. "Thank you, Inu Yasha. But, why are you here?"  
  
Inu Yasha's face turned arrogant again though slightly more softened than usual. "You've been gone three days wench." He replied, arms crossed.  
  
"I just need to finish putting up these lights, Inu Yasha, than I can go with you for a week."  
  
"A week?"  
  
"Yes, a week. It's almost Christmas, and I want to spend the days with my family."  
  
"Christmas?" Inu Yasha asked, head cocked slightly, "What's that?"  
  
"It's a holiday. You get together with all your loved ones and exchange gifts and are kind and generous to everyone all around you. That's why I'm putting these lights up. It's an American custom, to have your house light up the darkness," Kagome explained to the hanyou sitting on her roof, "So, if you let me finish, I'll be able to go with you." She reached for the lights Inu Yasha had drug up with her, but a clawed hand beat her to it.  
  
Kagome looked up and Inu Yasha, lights in his hands.  
  
"Well, lets get this done with, so you can get off this roof." And he drug the lights off to where Kagome had left off. She found herself grinning at the dog demon as he struggled with the strand. Shaking her head, she walked over to him and showed him how to set the lights up, smiling all the while.  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Hmm, theoretically, mommy_tomoyo thinks she could leave off the story here, but that would ruin the whole romance she's leading up to later in the story. Tell her what you think! 


	2. Chapter 2

Holiday Gifts; Chapter 2  
  
"Hey everybody!" Kagome shouted out as she entered the village, Inu Yasha at her side. Shippo ran over and leapt into her arms while Sango and Miroku strolled over, grinning.  
  
"Lady Kagome, how wonderful to see you," Miroku said, flashing Inu Yasha a grin while Sango game the girl a hug. "We feared you'd left for good."  
  
"Of course I was coming back!" Kagome replied with shock, "I just had some setting up to do for Christmas. Which reminds me, I got you all presents!"  
  
"Ooh, presents! Presents! Wha'chya get me Kagome?" Shippo clamored, climbing all over her.  
  
Laughing, she put him down. "Once we get to Kaede's, Shippo!" The excited kit ran ahead to the priestess's hut, dancing in the snow with eagerness.  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
"What's the occasion, Kagome?" Sango asked as Kagome handed out lumpy packages to the company.  
  
"It's Christmas! It's a holiday in my time when you spend time with those you care for and give everybody presents!" Kagome chirped happily, giving the last package and sitting to face her friends. "Open them!"  
  
"But Lady Kagome, we didn't get you any gifts," Miroku protested distractedly as he tore the paper off his gift. Kagome merely laughed and watched happily.  
  
"Oh, whoa, Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, pulling a paddleball from the paper. "What does it do?" Smiling, Kagome demonstrated to the fox-demon how to bounce the ball off the wood, and soon all they heard from Shippo was the boings of the bouncing ball.  
  
"Kagome, it's lovely!" Sango gasped, pulling a fancy, flowery fan from the package. Miroku was staring at his little contraption. It was a multi- colored block of some sort.  
  
"It's a Rubik's cube," Kagome explained, "You're supposed to move the layers until you get all the sides one color." She watched with amusement as Miroku focused on his gift and attempted to solve the cube.  
  
"It's impossible to get" Kagome whispered to Sango, "I thought it might interest the monk in him and get rid of the pervert for a while." They shared a giggle that went unnoticed by Miroku.  
  
Happily, Kagome turned to Inu Yasha, who was gripping a scroll in his clawed hand.  
  
"Unroll it," Kagome said quietly, eyes never leaving the hanyou's face. Slowly, he unrolled the scroll and nearly gasped. 'I-it's . . ."  
  
"I saw a picture near identical in an art shop. I asked the artist if he could paint me another one with a few changes, and he did," Kagome explained quietly.  
  
'Mother . . ." Inu Yasha thought wonderingly, gazing at the portrait. It was a near replica of his mother, from her high cheekbones to the glint in her eye. As if he was seeing her again.  
  
"I hope you like it," Kagome said nervously, wringing her scarf. "I couldn't think of anything, and. . ." She trailed of when Inu Yasha looked up at her very oddly. He looked so innocent, so childish.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Kagome blushed slightly, and turned to Shippo who was tangled in the string from his paddleball. Inu Yasha watched her wonderingly. 'Kagome . . ."  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Kagome climbed out of the well four days ahead of schedule. She was still in shock as she entered the house, much to the joy of her family. It was still fresh in her mind, Inu Yasha coming up to her, saying - what was it? - Oh yes, that she should spend this special time with her family.  
  
"You've been done from them too often," Inu Yasha said gruffly, "And since the snow keeps away news of the Shikon Shards, your not of any real use."  
  
"That was almost like he was trying to be considerate," Kagome thought to herself as she sat in the bath later, "What's wrong with Inu Yasha?"  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Back in the Feudal Era, Inu Yasha was rushing through the woods as fast and he possibly could.  
  
"Only a few days, I've got to go faster!" he grunted, and sped off towards the west, to his father's former lands.  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Christmas was a happy day for Kagome. Up early with a large, warm breakfast, her family now sat in the living room, exchanging gifts. After unwrapping a new woolen scarf, Kagome heard a knock on the door and opened it to see Inu Yasha before her. Her face brightened before realizing he probably was there to drag her back to the Feudal Age.  
  
"Umm, Inu Yasha, I can't go back today. It's Christmas. I told you."  
  
Inu Yasha nodded. "I know. I came because - uh - I - well - I - I got you something."  
  
Kagome watched as he blushed pink and her jaw nearly dropped. 'He-he got me a gift?'  
  
"Here." He shoved something into her hands. Looking down, Kagome saw a beautiful jade pendant on a gold chain glimmering in her hands. Gasping with joy, she threw her arms around Inu Yasha, clutching the necklace.  
  
"It's beautiful," she sighed, releasing him, and clasping it rounder her neck. She looked down at it, swelling with happiness.  
  
"It was my mother's," Inu Yasha muttered, still slightly red but looking very pleased. Kagome's jaw did drop this time, as she gazed at the lovely pendant. 'His mom's?'  
  
"Inu Yasha, would you like to come in?" Kagome asked gently, holding the door open. Surprised, he nodded and followed her into the house and started towards the living room.  
  
"Stop!" Sota commanded when he saw Kagome and Inu Yasha in the doorway.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're under the mistletoe Sis!" Sota exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"Sota!" Kagome yelled, ready to hit her little brother. Inu Yasha merely looked confused.  
  
"What's mistletoe?"  
  
"When two people are caught in a doorway under the mistletoe together, they got to kiss!" Sota giggled, pointing to the plant hanging in the doorway. Inu Yasha looked up, than looked down to a blushing Kagome.  
  
"You mortals and your silly customs," he scoffed, before leaning down and kissing Kagome.  
  
Kagome's eyes opened in shock as she felt Inu Yasha's lips against her own. 'He - he kissed - he kissed me!'  
  
Grinning, Inu Yasha pulled away and sat next to Sota who was laughing wildly. Kagome stood in the doorway for a moment, before joining her brother and Inu Yasha on the floor.  
  
'Thank you Inu Yasha,' she thought happily, joining the demon in playing with her brother.  
  
'Thank you.'  
  
~~*~~*~~  
  
Fin  
  
So, wha'dyall think? The idea came to mommy_tomoyo one night in the shower . . .best thinking place it is. A nice, short little fluff. Tell her what you think, ne? 


End file.
